Eastern partnership not dead - Polish ambassador to Armenia

YEREVAN, May 16. /ARKA/. Polish Ambassador to Armenia Zdzislaw Raczynski doesn’t share the opinion that developments in Ukraine and Armenia, Belarus and Azerbaijan’s refusal from the Association with the European Union mean the Eastern Partnership’s death.

The Eastern Partnership is the European Union’s project aimed at making its ties with six former Soviet republics – Ukraine, Moldova, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia and Belarus - closer.

On Friday, answering ARKA News Agency's question in the National Press Club, Raczynski said that this project is a part of the European Union’s policy in its relations with its eastern neighbors and that it was a very wide offer that is still in force.

The ambassador said the reaction that came from Eastern Partnership participant countries to this offer was mixed.

In particular, Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova expressed a firm determination to continue cooperation with the European Union and to sign the Association Agreement, while Armenian authorities, after mulling over this offer for a long time, declined it, and the EU accept and respect this decision.

In early September, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, made a joint statement, according to which Armenia has decided to join the Customs Union and to take part in formation of the Eurasian Union in the future.

The announcement came as Armenia was poised to sign the Association Agreement with the European Union aimed at making European Union’s ties with Ukraine, Armenia, Moldova and Georgia closer. -0----